496 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ June 11. 1885. 
number of its stock entries, whilst some new features introduced in the 
Exhibition render it specially noteworthy in the long record of the Society’s 
proceedings. 
The total of this year’s entries is by far the largest ever reached by the 
Society, considerably exceeding that at the great Centenary Show of 1877. 
A specially interesting addition to this year’s prize list is the class for ahull 
of any pure breed and two of its progeny, for which, in addition to £40 
offered by the Brighton Local Committee, an extra prize of plate is given 
by the Marquis of Bristol. The entries for this include Devon, Shorthorn, 
Hereford, Sussex, Jersey, Guernsey, and Highland cattle. 
Cheese and butter prizes are added to this year’s schedule, and have 
produced a good competition, the entries numbering forty-two. 
The poultry show, although the leading breeders are well represented, is 
not so large as last year, the total number of pens being 442. 
A department of special interest has been introduced this year in the 
exhibition of a working dairy. Here lectures and explanatory illustrations 
will be given, the subjects treated including the most recent improvements 
in butter-making, the processes of making the soft cheeses of the Continent 
and of Devonshire butter and cream. In order that these demonstrations 
might be as thoroughly useful and practical as possible, the services of Miss 
Smithard, who has been most successful in a similar capacity at the shows 
of the Royal Agricultural Society, and also of Mr. Jas. Long, of Gravelly 
Manor, who is one of the leading authorities on dairying subjects, were 
secured, and they give explanatory lectures at certain hours on each day of 
the meeting, whilst the Right Hon. Sir T. D. Acland, Bart., M.P., has 
arranged for the manager of the dairy on his Devonshire estate to attend 
in order to specially illustrate the Devonshire dairy systems. Messrs. 
Stephens and Clark, of Hove, assist in working the dairy, and supply the 
milk and cream. 
There is a very extensive exhibition of implements, machinery, seeds, 
&c., all the leading implement firms being represented. Commencing at a 
convenient point, not very far from the main entrance, is a long line 
of steam engines, occupying no less than eighty compartments of the 
special shedding, and propelling almost every description of agricultural 
machine requiring such agency, whilst in the extensive ranges of shedding 
elsewhere is an endless variety of implements adapted to the various 
requirements of the farm, the road, and the homestead, together with 
specimens of seeds, cattle foods, cattle medicines, artificial manures, and a 
large number of miscellaneous exhibits which may be considered rather 
domestic than agricultural in their character. Added to these there is an 
unusually large collection of carriages and vehicles of every description. In 
the trial fields contiguous to the show yard are seen in operation the most 
recently improved forms of ploughs, reapers, mowers, hay-makers, 
harvesters, sheaf-binders, &c., and other labour-saving machines from the 
best makers. 
The show yard, which is in Preston Park, is most'picturesquely situated, 
and is generally pronounced to be, in it3 general aspect, one of the most 
effective which the Society has ever succeeded in obtaining. 
In addition to the numerous houses and appliances referred to on another 
page, two very important contributions were entered from the well-known 
seed firms, Messrs. Sutton tfe Sons, Reading, and Messrs. E. Webb & Sons, 
Wordsley, Stourbridge. Each of these stands is about 150 feet long and 
most handsomely decorattd, forming the most ornamental structures upon 
the ground. Messrs. Sutton & Sons have a large number of fine roots, 
Mangolds and Swedes being uncommonly good of such varieties as Sutton’s 
Intermediate Golden Tankard and Mammoth Marigolds, and Improved 
Champion Swedes. Very clean samples of vegetable seeds are shown, 
together with a great number of Grasses for lawns, heavy land, and light 
land. A choice collection of Ixia flowers of varied colours with fine spikes 
of Muscari monstrosus, the Feather Hyacinth, form an interesting feature 
in this admirably arranged stand. 
Messrs. E. Webb & Sons have an extensive collection of roots of their 
prize strains, Mangolds, Swedes, and Turnips being represented, while of 
Grasses about 500 samples are shown. Potatoes are of notable quality, 
cereals and various manures being also contributed. 
CONDITIONS INFLUENCING LAND DRAINAGE. 
[A. Lecture by Professor J. Wrightson. London : Chapman & Hall.] 
It is of the utmost importance that land should be thoroughly drained, 
for no other improvements can be effective until the land is freed from 
the stagnant water. 
The question may be asked, “ Why should drainage be such an ex¬ 
cellent thing ?” Water is one of the most essential conditions of plant 
life—indeed, 90 per cent, of most vegetables consists of water. “ Why 
then should you be so anxious to get rid of the water ?” In reply to this 
question we may remark that the object of draining land is not so much 
to deprive the land of water as it is to increase the amount of water 
contained in the ground. 
Well-drained land is more friable than wet land, and in accordance 
with this fact the porosity—or power of the soil to retain moisture—is 
increased. The ground, in fact, becomes like a sponge, and the water is 
gradually given up to ihe plant. A well-drained field allows the water to 
pass through it very readily, but an undrained field soon becomes 
“ puddled.” 
The benefits of drainage are rendered more evident by the following 
considerations. 
There is a change in the conditions under which water exists in the 
soil. By draining, not only is a larger amount distributed throughout the 
soil, but the water is changed from a condition of stagnancy to one of 
movement. 
Stagnant water excludes the air, and thus the great purifier—oxygen— 
is kept from doing its necessary work. 
Water in a state of stagnancy prevents the development of carbonic 
acid in the interstitial atmosphere of the soil, and as a consequence of 
this, less of the mineral constituents of the soil are rendered available for 
plant life. 
Again, when the ground is surcharged with water a loss of warmth 
ensues, by reason of evaporation from its surface. The enormous amount 
of heat thus lost has been calculated to be equal to the combustion or 
12 cwt. of coal per acre every day. In summer the surface water is kept 
warm, and as it is lighter than the water beneath, it remains at the top, 
and thus prevents the heat from penetrating to the lower strata. _ 
The average difference of temperature between drained and undrained 
land has been found to he 10° F. This is equal to the average difference? 
between the temperature of February and that of May. 
In winter, on the other hand, the surface becomes cool, and the cold 
water being specifically heavier will sink ; at the same time the warmer 
water rises to supply its place. Thus we obtain a cold current of water 
downwards, and a warm current in an upward direction, and thus the 
entire mass of soil is chilled. 
“ Shrinkage ” in the case of a drained soil may amount to as much as 
5 per cent, of its bulk. It is well known that land which is drained soon 
becomes dry after a fall of rain. This drying is accompanied, by contrac¬ 
tion of the soil, and when again subjected to rainfall it undergoes 
expansion. This alternate contraction and expansion causes a ceitain 
amount of pulverisation, and thus the land gains an immense benefit. 
To give an idea of the amount of contraction which sometimes takes 
place, Professor Wrightson instanced an observation he made in 1876, after 
a long spell of dry weather. In this case a walking-stick was buried m 
some of the cracks which formed a kind of network over the whole field. 
A great change is observed in the condition of clay lands which bave 
been subjected to drainage. The blue clay becomes red, or, in other 
words, the ferrous oxide is converted into the higher form-ferric oxide. 
Another advantage of drained land over undrained land is that gained 
by the roots, which are enabled to penetrate to a greater depth, and ara'y 
their food from that part of the soil from which, in an undrained field, 
they are debarred. , . 
The farmer should also be influenced to drain his lands by the tact, 
that an earlier harvest is obtained. In some cases harvest has been two 
weeks earlier after thorough drainage. The crops, also, are larger and ot 
a higher quality. . , 
Another consideration in favour of drainage is that there is a great 
saving of horse labour, because the number of working days throughout 
the year is increased, for a farmer who has well drained his land can get 
to work with his tillage operations, while the man whose fields are un¬ 
drained is waiting for his land to dry. . . 
There is a great freedom from certain plant diseases on drained sou 5 . 
These diseases, such as blights, mildews, and rusts, spread rapidly on wet 
ground. # via 
The health of the live stock is improved by drainage .of the land on 
which they feed, and the general health of the population in the district is 
also improved. , , 
The “ reciprocal action ” of drains was next alluded to ; ana tne 
lecturer was of opinion that on an average clay soil a distance of 18 feet 
apart was usually sufficient to establish reciprocity of action. 
Again, the depth to which land must be drained varies.. On a stiff 
clay it will be less than on a sandy soil. It must be borne in mind m 
connection with this point that in order to obtain 18 inches say of dry 
soil it is necessary to drain to a depth of 2 feet 6 inches or even 3 feet. 
There is now a tendency with farmers to return to the old method ot 
shallow drains, as they are considered to be more efficient in their action. 
The part of the soil containing the water which requires to be removed 
is called the reservoir, or section of supersaturation,. the upper surface os 
which is termed the “ water-table.” Thus the main object of drainage 
may be said to be the lowering of the “ water-table.” 
In the course of the lecture Professor Wrightson exhibited a diagram, 
and explained the mode of action of Eikington’s system of draining, 
which was discovered in 1763 while an attempt was being made to get ria 
of the water with which the fields were surcharged. 
This system is applied to the greatest advantage on those lands which 
consist of alternate strata of permeable and impervious beds giving rise to 
springs._ 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden square, London. 
Lat. 51° 32-40" N.; Long. 0° 8- 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAY. 
0 
"5 
ffj 
1885. 
May and June. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32« 
and Sea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
| Temp, of 
Soil at 
I 1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
snn. 
On 
grass 
Inches. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
d»‘sr 
deg. 
deg 
In. 
Sunday . 
31 
30.090 
59.6 
51.4 
W. 
54.7 
67.5 
49.3 
117.2 
44.6 
— 
Monday. 
1 
30.251 
61.7 
52.8 
w. 
65.6 
67 8 
47.8 
120.2 
41.4 
— 
Tuesday. 
2 
30.298 
63.2 
55.8 
s w. 
56.4 
75 7 
45 4 
1164 
38 9 
— 
Wednesday . 
s 
30.124 
66.3 
55.1 
S.E. 
57.8 
77 9 
47.6 
119.2 
41.0 
— 
Thursday ... 
4 
29.907 
74.2 
62.4 
s.w. 
59 4 
81.7 
51.3 
127.4 
43.8 
— 
Friday. 
5 
29.827 
74.2 
63.4 
s. 
61.3 
80.2 
fio.l 
123 8 
51.9 
0.3'U 
Saturday ... 
6 
30.001 
58.7 
58.1 
s.w. 
626 
67.5 
58.0 
82.8 
57.8 
0.132 
30.071 
65.4 
57.0 
58.3 
74.5 
51.4 
115.3 
45.6 
0.433. 
REMARKS. 
31st.—Oloriously bright and clear. 
1st.—Fine and bright. 
2nd.-Fine, bright, and warmer. 
3rd.—Fine, bright, and nearly cloudless. 
4th.—Sine, bright, and ho . 
5th.—Pleasant and fine, not so hot: clondy in evening, with electrical breeze at 7P.M. 
6th.—Rain began soon after midnight,and continued at intervals all day. 
A fine bright week, much warmer, and with two days on which the temperature 
exceeded 80°.—G. J. Symons. 
